This summer, North Dakota State will face a performance audit from the state auditor, a decision that the university is not happy about.

Citing its costliness and time-consuming nature, the NDSU foundation executive committee said it will nonetheless comply with the state legislature’s recent decision.

The Legal Audit and Fiscal Review committee voted 11 – 4 in favor for auditing the foundations at NDSU, the University of North Dakota and Dickinson State University. The audit will focus on the fiscal years ranging from 2012 – 2014, but money is not the primary concern.

The audit will focus on the efficiency and effectiveness, not the finances, of the North Dakota University System institutions.

President Dean Bresciani asked the legislatures why NDSU, during a time of unprecedented growth and success, needed to be audited.

“This is truly a damned if we do, damned if we don’t, and God forgive us if we do it and UND doesn’t. That will look like, ‘Clearly, you must be trying to cover up something,’” Bresciani told The Forum of Fargo-Moorhead.

He continued, saying the review was brought to the table because of DSU’s latest auditing controversy. The university was charged with misallocating funds.

Lawmakers said otherwise.

The proposal was shaped by Representative Bob Skarphol, who said in January these audits would bring NDUS and the state legislature closer together in harmony, The Forum said.

The NDSU foundation wants to revoke the decision, citing its constitutionality and cost.

Though the 11 – 4 vote would be difficult to overturn, the Bison Caucus’s co-chair said she hopes to at least get the bill paid for.

Connie Nicholas works with a group of alumni and patrons through Bison Caucus by contacting lawmakers on the NDSU foundation’s behalf.

She said the expense will be taken from the three universities pocketbooks as the audits stand.